Box-nailing machine



June 14,1927. R. F. KURZ BOX NAILINGMACHINE Filed pril l8, l925 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 14,1927. 1,632,085

R. F. KURZ ox NAILING MACHINE Filed pril 18. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gram-1H oz (WW/V7 an??? June 14 1927.

R. F. KURZ BOX NAILING MACHINE -4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 18, 1925 a f iMWMW z f rw R M,

Patented June 14, 1927.

umr zn star-Es PATENT oFFic-E.

ROBERT F. KURZ, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASS IGNOROF TWO-'THIRDS TO FRED A. DAMON-AND ONE-THIRD TO FRANK STARITA, BOTH OF NEW HAVEN, CONNEC'IlI 7 our.

BOXl-NAILING MACHINE.

operationand made of1a' comparatively small number of parts, and, for that reason, comparatively inexpensive.

One object of my invention is to provide a horizontal box nailing machine of a simple nature, in whicli the nails may be'di'iven in a Satisfactory manner.

Another'object of my invention is to proride a box nailing machine ofthe character described, having a nail support disposed at? a slight angle to the horizontal, so that the nails will be driven in an exactly horizontal direction; i r

A still further object of my invention is to provide a new and improved means for delivering the nails 'tobe driven infront of the hammers, one at a time, and in a satisfactorymanner undposit'ion. i

My invention further contemplates the provision of adjustment in various parts-of the dt-ivice,- whereby boxes of difi'erent sizes may be conveniently handled. and whereby the nails may be driven at various spaced distances; i

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed".

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view o'f my improved machine; s s

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational View of the same;

Fig. 3 is-a fragmentary, perspective view of the upper dev1ce,sho\v1-ng portion of the the nail hopper; i V

Fig. 4: is a-sectional View online 4.-4 of Fig. 3"; p

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View of the nail picking mechanism, I

" 6 is a sectional View on lineof amiss uswnwiirdly';

able journals and' 2 4 upon Application mBdJApm 13,1923; Serial Nb. 632,912.

Fig. 7 is a sectional View online 7-7 of Fig, 6, showing the parts at the beginning of the nail drivingoperation;

Fig; 8 aview similar to Fig. 7, showing the positionofthe parts at thecompletion of the nail driving operation;

Fig. 9 is-a sectional View online- 9-9-of Fig, 6;

Fig. IO-isa sectional view online10-10 Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional new, showing the position of the nail-' driving parts at the beginning.- ofthe nail driving operation;

F ig.. 12 is asi-milar vi-ew,.showing' the position Oft lJGPGI tS after the nails have been -,d1"iven. 1 v

In the preferred form of my invention illustrated in the drawings, 1- have shown a frameconsi-sting of a pair of side'standards 10 and 11*, upon Which iscarried atable-12. Upon the table 12' are mounted t vo upper standards 13-and= 114, which serve. to. su port various parts of the n'iechanism, as" Will'be hereinafter described. The" standards 10 and 11" may be connected by tie'rods 15 and 16, and upon ,one of these standards is mounted astud-shaft 18; which carries a rocking t-readle 19 connected: by awlink 20 to asingle action. clutch. 21, mounted upon a crank shaft 22' rotatably carried in suita cross-piece 25;.w-hich constitutes a part of the'frame.

.In suitable journals 26 and 27-, depending I from the: table 12 iscarried a rock shaft28 upon WlIlCli is rotatably orloosely mounted a' pulley Wheel 29-, which may. receive power from any suitable source, and to the hub of iwhieh is rigidly secured a pinion 30; This pin-ion 18111 mesh Wlth a gear 31 loosely mounted on the crlankshaft 22 and/adapted to besecured' thereto bythe' clutch'2'l,wliich, when actuated bythe. treadle, clutches the gear to tlie'crank 'olution' of the latter, andthen is automatically disengaged.

shaft toacause' asingle rev- The crank 32 ofthe crank shaft 22is connected by. a link 33 to acrank: arm 34 on the rock shaft 28, so thatzthelatter Will be oscillated upon. the rotation of the crank 22.

The oscillations at this shaft, in theform at I m invention shown: in the drawi gs, sesam plishes the mechanical operations of: delivcring the nails to the drivin mechanisn'i and driving them into the work.

ln suitable guide ways in the table 12 is slidably or rcciprocably mounted a work carrier 36. At the rear edges of the carrier are mounted a pair of standards 37, between which is carried a bar 38 against which the work is adapted to abut. There is also mounted in extensions 39 and 10, upon the work carrier, a swinging nail support or guide 4-1. In the extensions 39 and 40 are provided suitable pins or trunnions 42 which project into sockets or bearing brackets 43 attached to the rear side of the nail support. This support is made up of two plates, the lower plate at carrying the bearing brackets just referred to, and the upper plate 45 being provided with suitable nail guiding, grooves 16. These grooves are cut entirely through the surface of the plate, so that the nail is suitably guided into the work thereby. The upper plate of the nail guide may be secured to the lower plate by suitable bolts or screws,as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, so that the inclination of one of these plates relative to the other may be adjusted.

To the lower surface of the plate 44 is secured a strap 17 which is provided with a substantially horizontally disposed rear end portion 48 and an inclined portion 49 extending inwardly therefrom. These parts of the plate are adapted to cooperate with an adjustable stop 50 secured to the intermediate portion of a plate 51 mounted upon the table 12, the end of the strap passing through an opening 51 in this plate below the stop 50. The adjustability of the stop 50 is, in this instance, secured by having; an elongated opening therein, and a screw pass ing through this opening into the plate 51. From an inspection of Fig. 7, it will be apparent that when the work carrier 36 is moved. rearwardly, the nail being, of course, carried with it, this guide will be permitted to drop from its inclined position, shown in Fig.1 7, to a substantially horizontal position, shown in Fig. 8, due to the fact that the stop 50 will be permitted to ride along the inclined surface 49 of the cam plate 17.

- In the device illustrated, [have preferred to produce the relative moven'ient between. the work and the nail driving members by holding the latter in a stationary position and moving the work toward them. I effect this operation by a movement of the work carrier 36, and this is accomplished by proriding an abutment 55, which lies along the top of the work carrier and which is secured to a pan. of rods 56 and 57, which, at their rear ends, are secured to sleeves 58 and 59,

. connected by the rock arms 60 and 61 to'the crank shaft. It will be apparent that when the shaft 28 is rocked by the link 33, the rock arms 60 and 61 will tend to pull the rods 56 and 57 rearwardly, and will likewise draw the abutment 55 toward the n1achine. If a box is being nailed and this box lies in a closely fitting position between the abutment 55 and the stop rail 38, the movement of the rods 56 and 57 will. be imparted to the work carrier 36 through the box and through the stop rail, so that the work car ricr, together with the swinging nail guide 1]., will all, be moved. rearwardly. The abutm-ont 55 is adjustably scoured upon the rods 56 and 57 by providing these rods with threads throughout their length and adjustably securing the nuts 62 uponeach side of the abutment 5!". It is in this manner that boxes of different sizes may be accommodated.

The return of the work carrier to its forward position, shown in Fig. 1, is accomplished, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6, by the provision of the pins 65 and 66 secured to the sleeves 58 and 59 and arranged to engage the rear edge of the work carrier, so as to push it outwardly to position to begin another operation.

At the upper ends of the standards 13 and 14, a nail hopper 67 is rockably mounted and is provided with slots 68 in the bottom thereof, through which the bodies of the nails are adapted to project, the slots being provided at their forward ends with broadened or enlarged portions 69 through which the nail heads may pass. The hopper is reeiprocated by means of a crank arm 70, provided upon the rock shaft 28 and connected by a link 71 to a bail 72 connected to the hopper.

Then the nails fall from the slots 68, they drop upon inclined nail guides 73, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1, and slide downwardly in these guides to the lower end thereof, where they rest against transversely disposed picking lingers 74 of the nail picker. This nail picker con'iprises a transverse member conr posed of two plates (5 and 76, which are reciprocably mounted in the standards 13 and 1st. Between these two plates are secured the nail picking lingers, one for each nail guide 73, which lingers consist of a longitudinally extending portion 7 1 secured be tween the plates 75 and 76, and the transversely extending portion, which has al.- ready been referred to.

When the nail picker is reciprocated, the picking fingers 74 move to the 10 ft and permit a nail to move out of engagement". with the same from each of the nail guides 73, and into engagement with the inner edge of the plate 75 where the nails are retained until the nail picker is moved to the right. When this movementtakes place, the opening 77 provided in the plates 75 and 7 6, as well as in the plate or frame member. 8, are aligned to permit the nail to drop into flexible tubes 80, as seen in Fig. 5. Nipples 79 are provided within the openings 77 of the memes frame member 78, in order tl'iat the tubes 80 may be readily assembled thereto. The frame member 78 is secured to the side frames 13 andl l, andv acts asa tie bar for the san1e,whereby the side frames are rigidly braced. The nails so released. pass downwardly to the flexible tube 80 to the delivery chutes 81, troi'n which they drop into the grooves 46 formed in the swinging nail guide 4-1. During the passage from the inclined nail guide 73 to the swinging n'a'il guides 11 the nail is turned from a vertical position with its point extending downwardly to ahorizontalposition and with its point extending outwardly toward the front of the machine.

The reciprocation otthe nailpicker is etlected through a bell crank 82 pivoted, at

83, haviiig one end connected to the picker bar 75 and the other end pivotally connected to a rod 8 1 reciprocably,mounted on the frame 13, and carrying; at its lower end a friction roller 85 which is engaged by the snrface SU ot a cam mounted upon one oil the stantlards ZW of, the work carrier, as shown more particularly inliig. 10. It will be apparent that wheuthework carrier is moved toward the frame of the machine, the, rod Szt will be moved upwardly, due to its being causedto ride upon the cam surface 86. and the nail picker will be reeiprocated through the bell crank 82, which is returned by the action of a spring 84 connected, at its upper end, to the bell cranlz, and, at its lower end, to the frame 13.

A'shield or guide maybe provided to prevent the heads of the nails catching on the edges of the nipples 79, sothat they may make sure and speedy progress from the nail picker to the delivery chutes 81. These chutes are coimected to the flexible tubes 80 and are loosely mounted upon a transversely extending shaft 90, which shaft is carried by a pair of side brackets 91 pivotally mounted at 92 uponears 93 on the side standards 37. A spring 94 urges these brackets in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 9, and the free arm 95 thereof bears against the upper side of the swinging nail guide 41. The delivery chutes 81 may be freely moved transversely of the machine along the pcuredto the plate 51. A spring, 10ft tends to urge this shaft in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 10, and tends to hold the hammers upon the surface of the swinglng na l guide ll. By loosening setv screws 105 "in the colla1's1i01, the hammers can be adjustedlongitudinally of the shaft 102, andcanbe arranged to suit the desired lowing o11)erati'on of the machine upon a n"'efdetcrinine(l size ands'tyleoit box or other work is olwious. p ing bar 55 is properly adjusted relative to the rail 38 or the class of work to be operated upon, after which power is applied by means of the toot pedal 19; Movementof the gearing and connecting levers immediately starts and by' its connection with the connecting rods 56 and 57, theabutment 55 forces the work against the rail 38 and retains it. in clamped position thereagainst.- The movable work carrier 36 is caused to move reaiwvardly by a continued movement of the abutn' ent 55. The work, therefore, is forced against the nails which are lying in the grooves 16, and retained against rear ward movement by the hammers 100. During the latter part of the rearwardmove ment of the woi'lrearricr 3G, th5e nail hopper is agitated and the nail'pickers are reoipro ca ted" to the leftt. 36'and the work thereon has been moved to the extreme rearward position, a continued operation of themachine releases the bar 55 from its clamping engagement with the work, allowing the work to be removed, and subsequently the pins and 66 engage the work carrier 36 to move the same forwardly. The movement of the work carrier 36 forwardly causes the cam 86 mounted thereon toreciprocate the nail pi ck'e'r to the right, thereby releasu'ig another series of nails lho abutment or clamp- After the work carrier which drop into their respective chutes and are directed into position in the propergrooves 11 lficnitlie n'aii is lying horizontally upon the swinging nail guide it, it will be obvious that, as showi'i' in Fig. 11, the nail head \\*ould,if the carrier were exact'ly' horizontal, cause the nail to point downwardly, that itwoiild not be driven in a horizontal position- To avoid this the carrier is given a slight upward tilt, due, to the engagen'ient ot' the plate LSby the stop 50, and the nail is caused to lie in a truly horizontal plane. As the table moves rear- 'a-rdly, the strap 17 moves rearwardlyuntil the stop engages the inclined surface 49, and

the swinging nail carrier is permitted to assume a horizontal position, so that the nail maybe, completely driven .i'ntojthe work in r the proper p'osition. By adjusting the stop 50, the swinging nail support can be caused to assume ditlerent inclinations relatively to the horizontal and. can, in this way, be adjusted to-accommodate nails having diiferent sized heads and'to drive them in a'n exactly horizontalposition;

The single-actionclutch21, as has alread been stated, connects the gear 31 to the sha t 22 to cause a singlerotation of the shaft at each actuation of the treadle, and this, inv turn, etlects a complete cycle of the opera tion of the machine. The work carrier is not only drawn toward the hammers to euse the nails to be driven into the work, but it is also returned to its original position, the swinging nail support being then moved irom the positions shown in Figs. 8 and 12 to the positions shown in Figs. 7 and ll. whereupon another nail drops from the delivery chute 81 into the grooves 4:6 in. front of the drivers 100, and the parts are then in position to begin another operation.

While I have chosen to illustrate a machine in which the nails are driven by a movement of the work relatively to the drivers, it will be understood that this arrangement is not important in all aspects of the invention and the same result might be obtained by moving the drivers toward the work. It is, of course, the relative movement of the work and drivers that etiiects the driving oi": the nails, and a reversal of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

While I have shown and describeda preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a nailing machine, a work carrier, a nail support, means to drive the nails into the work, a cam plate secured to said support, and adjustable means cooperating with said cam plate to control said support Whereby the nail body is held in horizontal position at the beginning of and during the nail driving operation.

2. In a nailing machine, a work carrier, a nail support, means to drive the nails into the work, a cam plate secured to said nail support, and adjustable means cooperating with said cam plate to automatically adjust the inclination of the nail support during the nail driving operation.

3. In av nailing machine, a frame, a work carrier movaliilv su 'iported thereon. a nail Sllppfil't movably mounted on said work carrier. means to drive the nails into the work. and adjustable means mounted on the i'nachine 'lraine to cooperate with a part o't said nail support to vary the positions thereot during the nail driving operation.

l. In a nailing machine, a work carrier, a nail support, means to drive the nails into the work, a cam plate secured to said nail support, and adjustable means cooperating with said cam plate to adjust the inclination of the nail support at the beginning of the nail driving operation and to automatically adjust the same during the nail driving operation.

5. In, a nailing machine, a. frame, a work carrier slidingly mounted thereon having a nail guide associated tl'ierewith, means to deliver a. nail to said nail guide, means to drive the nail into the work comprising a movable abutment and a. relativel stationary hammer, said abutment acapted to clamp the work against a portion of said work carrier whereby said work carrier and its associated nail guide is moved toward said hammer, and common means to move said almtn'ientinto and out of such clamping position and subsequently to move said carrier away from said hammer.

6. In a nailing machine, a irame, a work carrier slidably mounted thereon, a tilt-able nail guide pivotally secured to said carrier, resilient means to retain, said nail guide in a horizontal position, means to deliver a nail to said nail guide, nail driving means relatively iiztat-ionary with respect to said carrier. and adiustablc means to tilt the nail guide a. predetermined amount whereby the body of the nail is held in a horizom tal position before driving and to allow the return oil said nail guide to its horizontal position during the driving operation to insure the continued horizontal position of said nail body.

7. In a nailing machine, a frame, a work carrier slidably mounted thereon, a tiltable nail guide pivotally secured to said carrier, said nail guide normally lying in a horizontal plane, means to deliver a nail to said nail guide, nail driving means relatively stationary withrespect to said carrier, and adjustable means to tilt the nail guide whereby the body of the nail is held in a horizontal position before driving and to allow the return of said nail guide to its normal position during the driving operation to insure the continued horizontal position of said nail body.

8. In a nailing machine, a frame, a worle carrier slidingly mounted thereon, a nail guide tiltably secured to said carrier. means to deliver a nail to said. nail guide. nail driving means relatively stationary in respeet to said carrier, means to clamp the work against a portion oi said carrier, said clamping meansltxeing: adapted to move said ca'i'rier toward said driving means when the work is clamped thereby, whereby the nail is forced from said nail guide into the work by said nail driving means, and means associated with said nail guide for tilting the same during the nail driving operation, whereby the nail body is held ina horizontal position.

9. Ina nailing machine, a frame, a work carrier slidingly'mounted thereon, a. nail guide tilta-bly secured to said carrier, means to deliver afnail to said nail guide. nail (lriv' ing means relatively Stationarv in respect t said carrier, means to clamp the work ing means being adapted to move said carrier toward said driving-means when the vwork is clamped with said nail gi ,reby, whereby the nail is forced from sa: rail iide into the work by said nail drivin do for tiltingthe same during the nail drivingoperation, whereby the nail body is held in a horizontal position, and means associated with said carrier and opinfabie in timed relation to the movement 'Lhereol whereby another nail is deiivered to said nail guide after the return ot' said carrier and work clamping means to their inoperative position.

10. A box nailing machine, wherein there is provision for movement of the, work toward the nail driving means, including a driven clamping bar for clamping the work against a portion of a slidable work carrier, whereby said work carrier is moved toward the nail driving means, means to operate said clamping bar, said means being adapted to move said bar into unclamped position and to subsequently move said carrier away from said nail driving means, a nail guide, and means to deliver a nail to said nail guide during the operation of the machine, but before said carrier is moved toward the nail driving means.

11. In a nailing machine, a movable work i.:arrier, nail driving means relatively stationary with respect thereto, a nail guide movable with said carrier, means to deliver nails to said nail guide, means to move work upon said work carrier into clamped engagement therewith, said work moving means capable of continued movement thereafter in the same direction whereby said carrier, said nail guide, and said nail driving means are operated to cause a nail to be forced from said nail guide into the work and means to actuate said work moving means, saidactuating means adapted to move said work moving means out of clampiing engagement after the nail driving operation is completed. and to subsequently move said carrier away from the nail driving position.

12. In a nailing machine, a movable work carrier, nail driving means relatively stationary with respect thereto, a positively controlled tiltable nail guide movable with said carrier, means to deliver nails one at a time to said nail guide, means to move work upon said work carrier into clamped engagement therewith, said means capable of continuedmovement thereafter in the same direction whereby said carrier, said nail guide, and said nail driving means are operated to cause a nail to be forced from said nail guide into the work, and means to operate said work moving means, said operating means being adapted to move said work moving means and subsequently to move said carmeans, means associated rier away from said nail driving means, said nail dehvermg means. being operable ,by'the movement ofsaid carrier away, from said driving means. to deli ver a nail to said nail guide. A r v v 13. In a nailingmach-ine,a movable work carrier, nail driving means relat'ively. stationaiy with respect thereto, a positively COIltI'OllQClztlltfiblQ nail fuidejmovable with said carrier, neansstop eliver nails to said.

nail guide, adjustable means to tilt said nail guide, and means to move'work upon said work carrier into clamped engagement therewitl1,said means capable of continued movement thereafter in the same direction, whereby said carrier, said nail guide, said nail driving means, and said nail guide tilting means are operated to cause a nail to be forced from said nail guide, with its body lying parallel with the direction of driving, into the work. i

14. In a nailing machine, a "frame having a slidable work carrier and. a relatively stationary nail driving means mounted thereon, means to move work-against a portion of said work-carrier to clamp the same thereagainst and subsequently to move said work carrier 'toward'said driving means, and means to tionary nail driving means mounted there on, means to move work against a portion of said work carrier to clamp the same thereagainst and subsequently to move said work carrier :toward said driving means, means to support a nail in position for engagement by said nail driving means, said nail supporting means being secured to and movable withsaid carrier, and means to tilt said nail supporting means during the nail driving operation thereby holding the body of the nail in a horizontal. position during the driving operation, said tilting means being adjustable to vary the amount of tilting of said supporting means proportional to the diameter of the heads of various nails.

16. In a nailing machine, means to drive a nail by the relative movement of a nail driving member and a work carrier, a pivotally mounted nail guide adapted to receive the nail to be driven, and means to automatically adjust said nail guide during the nail driving operation whereby the nail is directed into the work ata predetermined nail guide durin the nail driving operation, whereby the nai is directed into the work at a predetermined angle relatively thereto, said means being adjustable whereby the nail guide is adapted for use with varied sizes of nails.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 17th day of April, 1923.

ROBERT F. K URZ. 

